HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition MDC Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday expelled party secretary general and former finance minister Tendai Biti, the latest instalment in infighting that has effectively split the movement into two camps.
Biti's expulsion comes after his faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said at the weekend it had suspended Tsvangirai and six top party officials, partly over the failure to unseat veteran President Robert Mugabe.
"The national council noted the attempted coup by Tendai Biti and others and having formed their own party have ceased to be members of the MDC party," Tsvangirai told reporters on Tuesday.
"The national council mandated the leadership of the party to organise an early congress in October to re-energise and transform the organisation."
Tsvangirai said the MDC would recall Biti and eight other officials from parliament.
The turmoil within the MDC is a boost for Mugabe, 90, whose ZANU-PF party has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 amid charges of rigging recent elections.
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